Wonderland
by WanderLustn
Summary: When a coworker on the police force was murdered, Detective Derek Hale and his partner Stiles Stilinski were called onto the case. It seemed officer Jackson Whittemore had led a secret life that none of his colleagues had suspected. When a connection was made to Derek's past with the grisly cosplay killings, Derek has to put the past to rest or risk losing Stiles forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Wonderland**

 _Yearn_

Derek pulled Stiles in close as soon as the younger man shut the door to his apartment. The older man grabbed Stiles' slim hips, leaned in, and claimed his lips in a searing hot kiss telegraphing his physical need. His lover eagerly opened up to him and their tongues explored each others mouths sensually as their hands moved over each others straining bodies. Over the past year, Derek had kissed Stiles hundreds of times, but there was something different about this one. There was a certain desperation in the way they writhed against each other with their fingers digging into each others skin.

They broke the kiss and Derek went for the younger man's neck. His hands massaged Stiles firm ass making the brown eyed boy moan and press hard against him. Derek could feel Stiles erection grinding against his own as he began to unbutton his lover's shirt. Stiles went to work on their jeans intent on freeing their hard, throbbing flesh. Derek took the younger man's lips again until they were both gasping for oxygen. The lovers stepped apart and began to quickly shed the clothes that kept their eager bodies from meeting skin on skin. Their eyes never strayed from each other as they removed each article and tossed them carelessly aside. Derek loved the way Stiles swiveled his hips to free himself from the tight grip of his jeans. In a moment, they were standing face to face completely nude and aching for each other.

Derek made the first move. He pushed Stiles into the wall and pressed his warm, muscular body against the younger man. He nipped, kissed, and sucked Stiles bare throat as his lover moaned and thrust against him wrapping one leg around the older man's taut muscular thigh. Derek let his hands roam freely over the younger man's toned body feeling every dip and curve of his responsive flesh. Derek wanted to melt with his lover and make them truly one. Stiles rolled his hips and his engorged cock slid against Derek's thick shaft.

"I've got to get the lube." Derek gasped as he started to pull away from their heated embrace.

"Already taken care of." Stiles husked as he threaded his fingers into the green eyed man's black hair and pulled him back in.

Derek growled softly as he pictured Stiles fingering himself to prepare for their coupling. He wrapped his strong hands around his lover's taut thighs and lifted him off the ground. Stiles wrapped his legs around Derek's chiseled chest as he pressed his shoulders back into the wall for support. His arms tightened around the older man's neck to steady himself.

Derek found the puckered opening to his lover's firm ass and pressed against it with the large crown of his surging cock until he gained entrance. Stiles went rigid from the initial pain of the penetration and his lover stopped moving to give him time to adjust to the intimate intrusion. Derek looked into Stiles wide brown eyes and the younger man nodded for him to continue. Derek thrust deeper and Stiles began to press down taking more of the older man's thick length inside him. Soon they were moving together in a perfect rhythm that they had established durning their first week as lovers. Stiles murmured encouragement for Derek to go deeper and harder as pure primal pleasure eclipsed burning pain.

Derek was groaning as he gave Stiles what he wanted. Their bodies were in constant motion as they gave and took sensual pleasure with each other. Stiles threw his head back and completely immersed himself in the erotic feelings of their frantic coupling. Derek thrust into him in a wild, frenzied rhythm that sent shock waves of sensation through their bodies. Stiles dug his heels into his lover's ass to stabilize himself as their wild fucking reached a crescendo.

"Derek..." Stiles breath was hitching. "I'm gonna..." His voice was rough and deep. "Come!" The younger man cried out as his body began to shudder and shake in the throes of orgasm.

"Oh, god..." Derek groaned as his lover's grasping body milked his own hot release from him.

When they had finally stopped shaking, Stiles buried his hands in Derek's hair, pulled him in close, and kissed him with a deep burning passion. After several moments, they broke the kiss to refill their starved lungs with oxygen. Derek carried Stiles to the shower where they bathed together and exchanged erotically charged blow jobs under a stream of running water.

When Stiles left a few moments later, Derek felt a sadness descend on him. He had been feeling a distance between himself and Stiles for awhile. The heat was still there, but Stiles was holding back emotionally. Derek knew that the problems with their relationship were his fault. He didn't sleep well that night as he tried to figure out how to put the past to rest and fix things with his lover so they could share the future.

 _Secret Life_

Derek Hale looked down at Jackson Whittemore's lifeless body. The twenty four year old police officer was nude in his bed on top of red satin sheets. The killer had posed his body on his left side. Jackson's right leg was straight with his left leg bent at a 90 degree angle also his left arm was pointing straight up and his right arm was bent. Jackson's head was hidden by a white furry rabbit mask. The killer had covered his body in theatrical make up to match the white of the mask. Derek felt that there was something familiar about the way the body was posed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. There were no obvious wounds or signs of violence on Jackson's pale, motionless form. Derek could almost believe that the young man was sleeping if he didn't know the awful truth. The young officer was dead and he had no idea what had happened to him.

Derek had already walked through the condo before stepping into the bedroom. He had noted several personal photos featuring family and friends scattered throughout the clean, open space. He also saw a couple of photos taken after their police precinct had played against the district firemen in a baseball game last summer. The pictures featured Jackson standing with Derek, Stiles and Jordan Parrish smiling in victory.

Derek saw no signs of a struggle or forced entry in the immaculate condo. Jackson had let his killer in and voluntarily removed his clothes. As he took in the murder scene in the bedroom, Derek sensed the presence of his partner and lover, Stiles Stilinski. He turned and caught the younger man's eye. Stiles didn't step into the room. He didn't want to get a closer look at his dead coworkers lewdly displayed body.

Dr. Alan Deaton, the coroner, arrived on the scene and approached the bed. "This pose, I've seen this before." He said as he moved in closer.

Derek looked over at him surprised to hear the same sentiment he was feeling. "I know. I thought that too. I just can't quite place it."

They stood silent for a few moments as Stiles took a step into the room to scrutinize the position that Jackson's killer had left him in.

"I've got it. It's a pose from that Marilyn Monroe nude calendar. She was on red sheets like this. My roommate in college had a print of it." Dr. Deaton declared.

Now Derek knew where he had seen it. The lover who had betrayed him, Dante, had been a fan of Marilyn. He had shown Derek the pose that was scandalous at the time, but seemed tame by today's standards. He pushed thoughts of Dante away as he watched Dr. Deaton remove the white rabbit mask. He heard several people in the room gasp as Jackson's face was revealed. The young officer's eyes were a bright electric blue and his face retained a sensual, secretive smile. Usually the eyes of the dead were milky looking. It was startling to see Jackson's face look so alive.

Dr. Deaton leaned down and touched the body's pale shoulder with a blue gloved hand, then ran his fingers down the length of the outstretched arm. He looked surprised as he moved to touch the young man's chest then his waist. "His body isn't in rigor. This is something else. He's hard as stone."

Derek moved in beside the doctor and placed his gloved hand on Jackson's shoulder. He squeezed the pale flesh and felt the hard contours of muscle under his hand. It felt like the body was carved from marble. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"No. This is unique. Look at his neck. He's wearing a gold chain." Dr. Deaton said as he clasped the chain in his gloved fingers and showed the infinity symbol on it to Derek.

Derek swallowed hard to stop the gasp that tried to escape him. It couldn't be. This chain looked just like the one he had given Dante when he'd asked him to move in with him. Derek got out an evidence bag and leaned in to take the chain. There was a small metal square by the clasp with a D engraved on it. It seemed to be a duplicate of the chain he had given to Dante years ago. Derek bagged the evidence and handed it over to Dr. Deaton. His mind was in a whirl trying to figure out how Jackson could possibly be connected to Dante.

"Derek, there's something here you should see." Officer Jordan Parrish said as he walked up to Derek holding an iPhone.

"What did you find?" Derek asked as the younger man stopped beside him and held out the phone.

"It looks like Jackson was into cosplay or something. There are several pics in his personal folder with this group dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. He's the white rabbit." Officer Parrish explained as he flipped through a series of pictures on the phone. Several photos featured the White Rabbit, Alice, the Mad Hatter, the White Queen, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat and the Red Queen sitting around a long table drinking tea and eating finger sandwiches and pastries.

Derek saw that the mask in the photos looked the same as the rabbit mask that had been on Jackson's body. He didn't know who any of the other characters might be. "Do you recognize any of the other people in these photos?"

"No, just Jackson as the White Rabbit. I'll print out some of these pictures when we get back to the station. Maybe some of the other guys will recognize them." Officer Parrish said as he turned away.

"What are you thinking?" Stiles asked as he caught Derek's somber gaze.

"I think Jackson knew the person who killed him. I also think he had a secret life and we have to find out who he shared that life with." Derek said as he looked back at the pale body on the red satin sheets.

"I think you're right. I'm going to start looking through his laptop as soon as we get back to the station. Dad isn't going to like this." Stiles said grimly as he started to walk out of the doorway.

"I think we should let Officer Parrish give him the news about Jackson." Derek said as they strode down the hall towards the front door.

"I like the way you think." Stiles said as they walked out the door and into the midday sun.

More Soon


	2. Chapter 2

Wonderland

 _The Tea Party_

The March Hare smiled as he looked around the table at Alice, the Mad hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the White Queen and the Red Queen. They were all having such a nice time sipping tea and eating bite size snacks and deserts at their tea party in the Beacon Hills Preserve. None of them knew that the White Rabbit hadn't joined them because he had died the night before.

March had killed Jackson first because the police officer had a separate role in his plan. He had paid the White Rabbit a visit last night and staged the scene for detective Derek Hale. Jackson had been so compliant thinking that the March Hare just wanted some kinky recreational sex. March's smile broadened as he thought about how easy it had been to get the handsome young man naked and distracted by desires of the flesh. Giving him the lethal injection hadn't been a challenge at all. March wondered what the young officer's last thought had been before the resin plastinate had saturated his body completely and ended his earthly existence.

March snapped out of his reverie and noticed that his companions weren't laughing anymore. Some of them had set down their tea cups. Others had dropped their cups onto the table. Their eyes looked wide, a little unfocused and they were all trying to speak, but they couldn't seem to force the words out. March stood up and walked to the Cheshire Cat. It was time to really get this party started.

 _The Other Guy_

Derek had just gotten into his Toyota SUV across the street from Jackson's condo when his phone rang. "This is detective Hale." Derek said as he accepted the call and started his car.

"You love that sound Stiles makes just before he comes. He gets that little hitch in his breathing and he calls out your name. You love the way his whole body seizes up when he cries out and releases his load. He's an incredible fuck. You should have claimed him when you had the chance, Derek. We both know it's too late now. You've already lost him."

"Who is this?" Derek demanded through clenched teeth.

"I'm his other guy." The line went dead.

"Fuck!" Derek snarled and threw his phone onto the passenger seat. He banged his hands on the steering wheel before gripping it tightly. Who the hell was this other guy? How had he known those intimate details about Stiles? The answer to that question was obvious, but Derek didn't want to think about that.

He and Stiles weren't in an exclusive relationship. They were fuck buddies because that was how Derek had said it had to be. Stiles had wanted more, but the past had stopped Derek from making a commitment to the younger man. Derek had never admitted to anyone, not even himself, that he loved Stiles and he wanted him to be in his life permanently. Now, he had to face the fact that he was losing his lover. If he couldn't give Stiles what he needed, some other guy would.

Derek thought about all the nights that he had sent Stiles home after sex. He never invited the younger man to spend the night with him. He also wouldn't stay all night with Stiles at his apartment. They kept their relationship a secret from everyone they knew. Or at least, Derek had kept it a secret. Stiles had obviously told the other guy.

 _Off with Their Heads_

The March Hare started to work by removing his costume and quickly redressing in coveralls, then he injected the Cheshire Cat with the resin plastinate. He cleared away the festive tea party cups, plates and bowls before placing the helpless feline figure on the table face down as the other party goers watched in horror. They would have screamed if the drug he had given them in their tea hadn't robbed them of their voices. March pulled the Gigli amputation saw out of his bag and climbed over the back of the prone Cheshire Cat. "Off with his head!" He declared as he shot a bemused look at the Red Queen who was wide eyed with shock at the end of the table.

It was twilight by the time the March Hare finished his grisly work that day. He stood back and surveyed the macabre scene with a smile of satisfaction. All the party goers heads except one were displayed on wrought iron stakes placed behind their respective chairs. Their bodies were posed with tea cups in one hand and deserts in the other as if the gathering of friends was still in full swing. March looked over the scene carefully to make sure nothing was amiss before he walked away whistling. He knew some early morning jogger on the nature trail would get the shock of their life when they happened upon the elaborate murder scene.

 _The Parents_

The afternoon after Jackson's body had been discovered, Derek left Stiles at the precinct house to explore the young officer's laptop. They were hoping to find the identities of his fellow Wonderland cosplayers somewhere on the computer. Derek had thought about the call he'd received several times that morning. The deep voice had seemed familiar to him. Was is possible the other guy worked with him and Stiles? He tried to push that disturbing thought out of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand.

Derek was never comfortable speaking with the relatives of crime victims. It was one part of the job that he hadn't mastered. Derek was glad the notification had already been made to Jackson's parents about their son's death and that they were expecting to speak with him. He knew the Whittemores were wealthy and conservative. They had a certain standing in the community and he would have to tread lightly with them. Jackson's mother greeted him at the door and ushered him into their home. She and her husband sat side by side on the sofa in their living room and Derek sat across from them on a loveseat.

"Jackson had a real talent for police work. He was instrumental in solving several cases during his time on the force. He will be missed on a personal and professional basis. I'm very sorry for your loss." Derek began the conversation.

"Jackson had mentioned you, detective Hale. His goal was to earn his gold shield and be a homicide detective. He wanted to work with you someday. I just can't believe he's gone." Mrs. Whittemore said and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

Derek gave her a moment before he spoke again. "When was the last time you spoke with Jackson?"

"He dropped by last Saturday. He looked a little tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and was paler than usual. He said he had a lot on his mind." Mrs. Whittemore answered in a low tone choked with emotion.

"Did he mention what was bothering him?" Derek asked as he leaned forward a bit.

"Jackson didn't confide in us. He was always a bit distant." Mr. Whittemore said as he squeezed his wife's hand.

"Did he have a close friend that he would talk to?"

"He used to hang out with a guy named Danny during high school, but they drifted apart. He hasn't brought anyone else here to meet us." Mrs. Whittemore replied.

"Was he dating anyone?" Derek asked as he looked back and forth between the grieving couple.

"I didn't ask Jackson questions about his personal life. I didn't want to hear if he was dating a man. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to finish the funeral arrangements. I really don't think there is any more we can contribute." Mr. Whittemore said as he rose from the couch followed by his wife.

"Thanks for your time. Here's my card. If you think of anything else that might be helpful, don't hesitate to call." Derek stood and handed his card to Mrs. Whittemore, then he turned and headed out the door and to his SUV. It didn't surprise him that Jackson's conservative parents were disapproving of his sexual orientation. He felt bad that he hadn't talked to the young officer more. It seemed that Jackson had needed a friend.

As Derek drove back to the police station, his mind shifted to the gold chain Jackson had been wearing. It had been two years since Dante had died and Derek had left Los Angeles to move to Beacon Hills. The last time he had seen that gold chain had been in the evidence lock up at the 12th precinct station house where he had worked before his life had been torn apart by the situation with Dante. Derek looked through the contacts on his phone when he stopped at a red light in town. He placed a call to an old friend in Los Angeles and asked for a favor.

Derek sat outside the Beacon Hills police station for a few minutes and tried to order his thoughts. He wanted to find out who the guy was that Stiles was seeing, but he couldn't ask him directly. The phone conversation earlier that day still nagged at him. Why had the other guy called? What was going on with Stiles? Whatever it was, Derek knew now wasn't the time to bring it up. They had to solve Jackson's murder, then he would talk with Stiles.

Officer Jordan Parrish saw Derek walk in and intercepted him on his way to his desk. He gave the older man an update on Jackson's case. Parrish had canvased Jackson's neighbors. No one had heard or seen anything out of the ordinary. Everyone said that Jackson was a nice young man who kept to himself and didn't make any waves. Derek thanked Parrish for the information and walked over to greet Stiles.

"I didn't get much from Jackson's parents. His mom said she saw him Saturday and he looked tired and seemed bothered by something. According to his dad, Jackson didn't confide in him and they don't know his friends or anyone he might be dating. Have you found anything?" Derek said as he stood by his partner's desk.

"I've talked to some of the people on Jackson's phone contact list and left messages for the rest. So far I haven't come across anything unusual. Everyone liked Jackson and thought he was a great guy. If he had issues with anyone, I haven't found any indication of it on social media or among his friends. For such a good looking, fit guy he didn't get out much. I didn't get any names for the Wonderland cosplay group." Stiles said as he looked up at Derek.

"Maybe this Wonderland group does all their dress up things together secretly. I wish I knew how he got into this whole Alice in Wonderland thing. It seems odd." Derek said as he looked at the computer screen in front of Stiles. He was having a hard time meeting the younger man's eyes at the moment.

"Yeah. I never would have dreamed that Jackson was into cosplay. I guess you never really know anyone." Stiles said and Derek turned to look down at him. Their eyes locked and held for a long while as silence stretched out between them. Each of them wanted to say more at that moment, but it wasn't the time or the place for that particular conversation.

 _The Gym Buddy_

Derek decided to check out the Iron Man gym that Jackson belonged to. He had found out from the lady who answered his call that Jackson had a regular workout schedule and a gym buddy named Isaac Lahey. Derek called the young man, told him about Jackson and arranged to interview Isaac at the office where he worked later in the day.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." Derek said as he sat across a conference table from Isaac Lahey.

"Man, I can't believe this happened. Jackson was a great guy." Isaac said as he met Derek's direct gaze.

"Did he seem stressed or worried about anything when you last saw him?" Derek asked.

"Not worried, more like preoccupied. His mind was on a guy he had met and wanted to date. It seemed like the guy was more interested in being friends than hooking up." Isaac replied.

"Did he say the guy's name, how he met him or where he works?" Derek asked.

"Jackson just called him the Hottie. He said the guy was really good looking and well dressed like a model. He felt like the guy was out of his league, but he really wanted to get with him. I told him to go for it."

"Did he spend time with the guy? Did Jackson tell you any place they hung out?"

"He said the guy was into some kind of costume party thing. Jackson decided to join in to get closer to him." Isaac replied.

"Did he mention the names of any of the people involved in the costume parties?" Derek asked.

"No names, but the parties had an Alice in Wonderland theme. I wish I knew more. I want to help get the guy who did this." Isaac said.

"You have helped. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions today. Here's my card. Please call if you think of anything else." Derek handed Isaac his card and stood to leave.

"I hope you find the asshole who killed Jackson. He was a good guy. He didn't deserve any of this." Isaac said as Derek walked away.

 _The Other Guy_

Derek's phone rang as he was crossing the Iron Man gym's parking lot. "This is detective Hale." Derek answered as he thought about what Isaac had told him about the mystery man that Jackson had been interested in.

"Let's take a walk down memory lane, Derek. It was six months ago and you got the call that all cops dread. A little girl had been abducted, raped and murdered that day. You and Stiles got called out to the body dump. It was his first experience with a child killing and he was very shaky on scene. You took him back to your place after your shift ended that night. Stiles told you he loved you. Why didn't you say it back, Derek?" the other guy asked in his deep, well modulated voice.

"How do you know Stiles?" Derek demanded through clenched teeth.

"Stiles needed you to say it. He needed to know that you felt it too. You broke his heart that night, Derek." the other guy continued unfazed by Derek's rage.

"Who are you?" Derek snarled.

"Stiles would have given you everything, but you fucked it all up. Now you're just another guy who damaged him. He would have made you happy, but now you're gonna be a bittersweet memory. Remember, Derek, it's the burden of unspoken words that ultimately destroys us." There was a click and the line went dead.

"Fuck." Derek yelled through his teeth as he stared at his phone. He had to find out who the other guy was and soon. He jumped into his Toyota and began to drive towards Stiles' apartment. He had made plans to meet his uncle, Peter Hale, for dinner, but he decided to take a little detour and see if anyone was with Stiles.

Derek had been in the parking lot watching Stiles door for ten minutes when he saw a tall, dark haired man stride purposefully up the concrete walkway. He knocked on Stiles door and the brown eyed man opened it almost immediately. Derek's vantage point only allowed him to see the man's back. He could tell the guy was fit and moved fluidly. There was something familiar about him and Derek once again wondered if he worked at the police station. After Stiles opened the door, he stepped forward and right into the arms of the taller man. They stayed in the embrace for a long moment before Stiles and the man stepped into the apartment and closed the door.

More Soon


	3. Chapter 3

Derek was debating whether he should go to Stiles apartment and get a look at the tall man. He could say he needed to talk to Stiles about Jackson. His phone rang and he jumped guiltily hoping it wasn't Stiles calling him. Derek checked the number on the display and frowned. "Hey, Peter."

 _The Past Weighs In_

"We have a dinner appointment. Is it too much to ask that you to be on time or to call if you're running late?" Peter asked with an edge of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm on my way. See you in ten." Derek said and ended the call.

Derek walked into Caravagios fifteen minutes later and spotted Peter waiting in a booth. He walked over and slid in across from his uncle.

"You look tense. How's the case with your fellow officer going?" Peter asked as Derek settled in.

"It's an on going investigation. I can't talk about it. Also, I'm not coming back to work for Hale Technologies so don't ask. I know that's why Mom sent you here." Derek said as the waiter walked up and asked for his drink order. Derek ordered a double Scotch neat which caused Peter to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, if we can't talk about work, tell me how things are going with your young lover." Peter asked with a smile.

"He's going to leave me. I can't give him what he needs." Derek said bluntly. He didn't feel like playing word games with Peter tonight. He was too raw and unsettled by the events of the day.

"What does he need that you can't give him?" Peter asked as he looked at his nephew with piercing blue eyes.

"A real, committed relationship." Derek said through clenched teeth as the waiter delivered his drink.

"Do you love him?" Peter asked as he continued to stare intensely into Derek's green eyes.

"What?"

"It's a simple question, Derek. Either you do or you don't. Now which is it?"

"I do." Derek said, then he gulped down half his drink.

"Why won't you commit to him?" Peter asked as he continued to study his nephew closely.

"Because I can't trust my own judgement. The last man I loved and let into my life killed my partner and I had to kill him." Derek said and finished the rest of his Scotch in one long swallow.

"Derek, look at me." Peter said in a deep authoritative tone.

Derek reluctantly looked up and met his piercing blue gaze.

"Stiles isn't Dante. He isn't going to betray you. If you let him walk out of your life, you won't ever forgive yourself. I know you, Derek. For better or worse your heart belongs to him. You have to tell him how you feel before it's too late." Peter said in a low even tone.

"It's already too late, Peter. He's already gone." Derek said and ordered another double.

 _A Sympathetic Ear_

Stiles sat down across from his friend, Armand, and took a few deep breaths as he tried to pull himself together. "I still see Jackson every time I close my eyes. I've been on the job a few years. I've seen plenty of dead people, but never someone that close to me before. Also, it was the way he was displayed and what the killer did to him. I wish I could tell you more, but it's an ongoing investigation. I just feel like we're all in danger now. I probably won't sleep a wink tonight."

"Are you going to see Derek later?" His friend asked softly as he watched Stiles rub his hands down his jean clad thighs like he was wiping sweat off them.

"He went to dinner with his uncle so he won't be in the mood for company later." Stiles said as he pulled his knees up and wound his arms around them.

"Have you decided what you're going to do about your situation with him?" Armand asked in a sympathetic tone.

"I know I should end things and move on. Derek is never going to give me what I want, but I haven't found the courage to let go." Stiles said as he rocked back and forth.

"You love him too much to walk away even though the way your relationship is now isn't what you want or need." Armand said softly.

"I'm crazy in love with him and he just thinks of me as a fuck buddy." Stiles said and looked up at his friend. The glint of tears was obvious in the dark haired man's bright brown eyes.

"It must be complicated being partners and having this difficult relationship. You and Derek have to rely on each other and trust each other when you're on duty. Would you take a bullet for Derek? Would you die for him?"

"Yes." Stiles answered without hesitation as a single tear spilled over and made a wet trail down his cheek and off his chin. The drop landed on his jean clad thigh and made a Rorschach image there. To Stiles the shape looked like a crow. He shivered and used his thumb to cover the dark image.

 _What the Cat Dragged In_

When Derek finally got home that night, he was weighed down and bone weary from the day and the emotional blow back of his dinner with Peter. No matter how hard Derek tried not to think of the past it kept sneaking through the back door of his mind.

He walked into his apartment, flipped on the light and took a look around the space. His gaze froze when it landed on the Cheshire Cat mask displayed on his coffee table. Derek pulled his gun out of his holster and did a sweep though his apartment to make sure he was alone. Once he had cleared all the rooms, Derek walked over to the table and took a closer look at the elaborate mask made to look like the Cheshire Cat in the Tim Burton film. There was something hanging from the cat's lower jaw that caught his eye. Derek gloved up and gently removed the shell bracelet. His eyes flew wide when he saw the name etched into the shells, Dante.

Derek flashed back to the vacation he and Dante had taken to the Bahamas. They had both purchased the shell bracelets with their names on them. How could it be here now in the Cheshire Cat's mouth? He looked closer at the mask and discovered that there was a head in it. Where the neck was severed, there wasn't any blood. The stump was preserved just like Jackson's body had been.

Derek felt like his world was unraveling and the ground beneath him was unstable and shifting. He had the feeling that some Old Testament style retribution was coming. When it hit, it would shake his world right down to the foundation. Derek took several deep breaths to calm himself before he called the watch commander at the police station to send a team of investigators to his home.

A few hours later, Derek received a text from his friend in LA who had checked the evidence locker at the 12th precinct for him. Dante's gold chain with the infinity symbol was missing from the evidence box of his personal effects collected at the scene when Derek had shot him. Derek stared at his phone and tried to piece together what was happening. He felt a chill and looked around the room. He had to find the connection between Dante and the killer, then he would find who had murdered Jackson and cut off the Cheshire Cat's head.

 _Death in Wonderland_

Derek got the call at 6:45 am about several headless bodies in costumes being discovered by a jogger in the Beacon Hills Preserve. He met Stiles at the precinct house at 7:20 and they drove together to the crime scene.

Stiles had been unusually quiet since they had met up in the squad room. Derek looked over at the younger man trying to get a read on him and waited out the silence. He knew that Stiles would speak when he was ready.

"Why didn't you call me last night when you found the head on your coffee table?" Stiles asked in a low even tone. He didn't turn to look at his partner. He just stared out the windshield and pretended to watch the scenery flow by.

Derek glanced over at his partner and saw the tense set of his shoulders and the hard line of his clenched jaw. "I figured you were busy and there was no immediate threat from a severed head."

"There could have been a bomb in the severed head, but that is beside the point. If someone breaks into your place and leaves the Cheshire Cat's head, I want to know about it. I don't want to be called into the office and hear about it from the desk sergeant. We're partners, Derek. I should have been your first call. You're supposed to tell me everything." Stiles said and the anger was evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Stiles. I should have called you. If I ever have another head left in my apartment, you'll be the first to know."

Stiles shot him a hard look, took a deep breath to calm down, then changed the subject."How was dinner with your uncle?" He asked as he studied the older man's profile.

"It gave me indigestion." Derek replied as he drove past two police cars and parked by the southern entrance to the Beacon Hills Preserve.

"You're giving me indigestion." Stiles muttered under his breath and they both got out of the suv.

Derek and Stiles ducked the yellow crime scene tape and approached the grisly tea party tableau.

"Welcome to Wonderland." Officer Parrish said as they took a look around and walked the perimeter of the crime scene. "We found Jackson's tea party friends. Too bad they're all dead."

"Not all of them. Where's the March Hare?" Derek asked as he looked around the table at the headless group in their elaborate costumes.

"That's right. The pictures and videos we found on Jackson's phone and computer had the March Hare in them, but he's not here." Stiles said as he stared at the elaborately posed bodies sitting around the table.

Dr. Deaton arrived on the scene and walked around the table. "Males and females so we've got heterogeneous victims and an ambisexual killer at work." The coroner took a moment to closely inspect each headless body. "He has injected these bodies with resin just as he did with Jackson. He's turned them all into human plastinates with plastinated organs. It's a technique that was pioneered by Dr. Gunther von Hagens to preserve medical specimens."

"I saw that Body Worlds exhibit a few years ago in LA. Why would the killer want to preserve their bodies in this way?" Derek asked as he stepped closer to the corpses.

"You would think they would make the ultimate trophies for a psycho, but he doesn't keep them." Stiles said as he looked around the table.

"You're right. You would expect him to keep them with him as a trophies of his kills. Why would he leave them for us?" Dr. Deaton said as he examined the neck wounds closely.

Derek started to take a closer look at the heads that had been impaled on wrought iron spikes. His eyes widened and his heart rate ratcheted up. He found it increasingly hard to breathe as he looked from head to head. Derek was shaking his head unconsciously denying what his eyes were seeing. It couldn't be real.

He looked back and forth between the Red Queen and the White Queen trying to make sense of it all. Their heads were wearing the Mardi Gras masks that he and Dante had worn when when they had attended a Mardi Gras party three years ago. The Mad Hatter was sporting the leather cap that Dante had bought Derek for his birthday that same year.

Derek tried to take measured breaths and keep his composure as he moved to inspect the headless bodies placed around the tea table. He noticed the familiar scent of cedar wood, teak and musk. Each of the bodies had been sprayed with Dante's signature cologne, Bvlgari.

Derek closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't look at the macabre scene around him any longer. He had to find some order in the chaos of thoughts that were whirling through his brain. Derek felt if he could just make the proper connections in his mind, he could find the agent of chaos who had killed these people and brought his past back to haunt him.

"Their costumes have incredible detail and are made of quality materials. They must have had them custom made or they have great skill to produce them themselves." Dr. Deaton observed as he walked around the tea party table and looked at each body.

"There are a couple of upscale costume shops in town. We also have a few tailors and custom dress makers. I'll check them out. That could get us the names of out dear departed Wonderland characters and our missing March Hare." Stiles said as he made a few notes in the iPad he always carried to crime scenes.

He looked over at Derek and was surprised to see that his partner's eyes were closed. It wasn't often that Derek found a death scene too intense for viewing. Stiles could see that this case was getting to his partner. The killer was taunting Derek for some reason. There was some sort of connection between him and the deranged person who was turning people into medical specimens. He was worried that the psycho would come for Derek next.

 _The Other Guy_

Derek was sitting by the fountain in the Beacon Hills Municipal Park. He liked to watch the water and let his mind wonder. He was hoping to get a clearer view of what was happening with the Wonderland murders. He felt raw and wounded by all that had transpired the past few days He needed a breather and some time to process everything. Derek was deep in his head space when his cell phone rang. He sighed and refocused his attention on the moment as he answered the call. "This is detective Hale."

"Stiles is pulling away from you. You can feel the distance growing between you. Stiles doesn't want to let go, but eventually he will. If you don't find a way to give him what he needs, you will lose him, Derek." The familiar voice said firmly.

"How would you know what Stiles needs?" Derek demanded as his fingers gripped the phone so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"How's it going to feel when he leaves for the last time, Derek?"

"Are you in love with Stiles?" Derek asked as he looked across the park wondering if the caller was watching him.

"It wouldn't matter if I was. You're the one he gave his heart too and he's going to die for you."

There was a click and the phone went dead. Derek resisted the urge to fling it into the fountain. What if the other guy was the killer? Had he put a bullseye on Stiles back? Derek sprang to his feet and headed for the police station. He had to figure out what connected the killer to Dante and find him before he killed again.

More Soon


	4. Chapter 4

_Long Kiss Goodnight_

Derek was sitting on the sofa in his apartment reading the autopsy findings that Dr. Deaton had submitted so far on the Wonderland murders. The coroner had spent the entire day along with two assistants performing the autopsies on the slain cosplayers. It was a little after 9:00 and Derek wondered if Stiles had changed his mind about coming over. Things had been tense between them all day and Derek had been surprised when his partner had said he'd be dropping by around nine.

While he waited, Derek stared at the photos of the Mardi Gras masks and the leather cap from the tea party. This case was too personal and he felt a cold pit of dread in his stomach as he thought back to his time with Dante. Some people got so deep under your skin that you just couldn't remove them.

A sharp knock on his door pulled Derek out of his thoughts. He opened the door to find Stiles standing there in tight jeans and a t-shirt. The younger man didn't say anything as he walked past Derek and headed over to the couch.

"Do you want a beer or something?" Derek asked as he closed the door and followed his partner.

"No." Stiles said as he glanced down at the autopsy reports and evidence photos that were sprawled across Derek's coffee table.

Derek stopped about a foot away from the younger man not sure what to say next. He didn't want a confrontation. He was on the ragged edge of control right now. Stiles looked at him with intense brown eyes that looked a shade darker than usual. Derek's lips parted to say something to fill the space between them, but Stiles stepped forward and kissed him before any sound came out. The kiss was deep and demanding and Derek couldn't help but respond in kind. In moments, they were grinding against each other and pulling at each others clothes. When oxygen became a necessity, they pulled apart.

"I need you naked right now." Stiles growled in a voice that thrummed with tension and desire.

Derek didn't hesitate to throw off his clothes and let them tumble down on the floor at their feet. Stiles did the same. As soon as they were both nude, Stiles pushed Derek back down on the sofa and straddled his lap. He went for the older man's neck as he undulated his taut body against his lovers muscular torso. Derek tilted his neck to give his young lover access as he breathed in the spicy scent of his warm skin. He could feel Stiles hard length pressed insistently against his stomach. The younger man grabbed his hand and guided it to the hot, throbbing flesh that needed his immediate attention.

Derek began to stroke his rigid shaft and Stiles gasped at the intimate contact with his heated flesh. Stiles claimed Derek's mouth again in another searing kiss as the older man's erection rubbed against the cleft of his lover's toned ass. The brown eyed boy moaned into the kiss and writhed in Derek's lap. He reached back and stroked his lover's pulsing cock drawing a groan from the older man.

Stiles finally broke the intense kiss and stared down into Derek's lust darkened green eyes. "Pull the plug out of my ass and fuck me." He demanded in a voice wrecked with need.

Derek's cock twitched eagerly as he removed the black butt plug and Stiles positioned himself above his straining erection. The younger man's intense gaze remained locked on his lover as he lowered himself onto the wide wet head of Derek's cock. His face contorted with the pain of penetration, but that didn't stop his decent. Derek stroked his hands up Stiles' sides, down his thighs and across his back as he became lost in erotic sensations and primal bliss. The younger man paused for a moment on his lap once he had taken the entire thick shaft inside him. He took a few deep breaths and waited out the burning pain pulsing within at the forced intimate intrusion.

Derek continued to gently caress and pet him until Stiles had adjusted and began to move again. The younger man settled into a natural rhythm rising and falling, impaling himself on the rigid rod of flesh over and over again. He braced his hands on Derek's broad shoulders and began to swivel and shimmy his hips to receive maximum stimulation from their coupling. The older man's hands settled at his hips as he gazed at Stiles face. The younger man's soft brown hair was tousled and wild, his curved sensual lips were parted, brown eyes had darkened until the pupil and iris were one, and his taut skin moved over lean muscles as he ground on his lover's lap. Derek had never seen anything more beautiful. He let Stiles control the pace for a few more minutes as his passion built up to a fever pitch.

Stiles opened his eyes, looked down at Derek and nodded. The older man used his grip on his lover's hips to lift and lower him at a faster pace as he began to thrust upward into his hot depths. The lovers built up speed and intensity until they were crashing into each other like waves in an ocean storm. Stiles tilted his head back, braced his hands on Derek's muscular thighs and rolled his hips into each deep powerful thrust. They pounded against each other working off the stress and tension that had been building between them for awhile. They were fucking like they were fighting and it was no accident that Stiles had chosen this position for the battle. Stiles moved forward and raked his fingers down Derek's chest and across his straining thighs, leaving angry red marks in his wake.

Derek's grip became punishing on Stiles slim hips and he knew he would be leaving finger shaped bruises on his lover. The younger man gasped and moaned as his body tightened down like a vice and he began to shudder and tremble.

"Oh, fuck! Derek, I'm coming!" He forced out as his breath hitched and his voice sounded like it was on the ragged edge of tears. "Unhhhh!" His cock exploded and he pumped out long ribbons of come that landed in strips across Derek's sweat dampened chest and thighs.

Derek continued to thrust into the incredible tight heat of the younger man's ass as he too released a flood of semen. They shuddered against each other for a few moments before they both grew still and clung to each other. The sated lovers were both breathing heavily and trying to regain their composure from the mind blowing climax they had shared.

When their breathing became regular, Derek struggled with something to say. Silence stretched for a long moment between them and he could feel the distance settling in place again now that their passion was spent. Stiles got up and made his way to the bathroom. Derek watched him go, but couldn't bring himself to speak. When he heard the bathroom door close, he cleaned up a little and started to get dressed. Stiles came out a minute later and began to pull his clothes on.

Once they were fully clothed, they faced each other warily. Derek saw Stiles biting his lip and rubbing his hands on his jeans. The silence drew out as he searched for something to fill the tense void growing between them.

"Derek, I can't do this anymore. There are so many things that I want in a relationship and I know that we will never have those things." Stiles began as he kept his gaze on his feet. "I shouldn't have let that happen. It was a mistake." Stiles looked over at the sofa, then back at Derek. "Why does this have to be so hard. I wanted things to work out for us, Derek. I kept hoping and waiting for over a year, but it's not going to happen. We don't want the same things. I'm going to ask Dad to be reassigned. I can't continue to work with you." Stiles blinked back the tears that were forming in his eyes and headed for the door. He stopped in the doorway and looked back at Derek. "I hope you'll be happy someday, Derek. You deserve to be happy even though you don't believe that." Stiles pulled the door shut behind him and practically ran away as the tears began to fall.

Derek stood silently in the middle of his living room. A voice in his head was screaming for him to go after Stiles, but he didn't move. He had already done enough damage to the younger man. He just had to accept that Stiles was gone and learn to live with it. He thought about how different Dante had been from Stiles. Dante had been an enigma from the moment they met. Derek had been drawn into his orbit and had never been able to pull free of the attraction. Later, after the betrayal, He had dug into Dante's background and found that he had never really existed. His identity was a clever fake. Dante had been a smoke screen. Derek had never really known him at all. Stiles was genuine and up front and said what he meant and felt. Stiles was genuine in every way, but Derek hadn't been able to believe that because of being so thoroughly burned by Dante. He stared at the door and thought of how Stiles had shown him in so many ways that he loved him. Stiles had always been there for him even though Derek had pretended to remain emotionally detached. Why couldn't he have opened his heart and believed in Stiles and their love?

Derek snapped out of his reverie and forced his feet to move. He turned around and went back to the sofa. His gaze fell on the autopsy reports and photos as he sat down. The images began to blur and Derek let the tears that he had held back for far too long fall as he felt the loss of Stiles like a sword through his heart. He was lost and alone and the killer was still out there roaming free.

Closure

Derek woke up the next morning with a sick feeling of dread deep in his stomach. He wasn't ready to face a new day. The first day without Stiles in his life and a psycho killer still on the loose. He went through his morning routine like a robot on auto pilot. He deliberately tried to keep numb and block the pain of losing Stiles from his heart. He had to focus on solving the Wonderland case.

When Derek arrived at the police precinct, he didn't see Stiles jeep in the parking lot. He wondered if a new lead had come in or if the younger man was avoiding him. He went to his desk and started slogging through a pile of paperwork that had accumulated there since Jackson's murder. A few hours passed and Derek still hadn't seen or heard from Stiles. That sick feeling in his stomach made him uneasy and on edge. He was sure something was going to happen today and it wasn't going to be pleasant by any stretch of the imagination.

At noon, Sheriff Stilinski approached his desk. "Derek, has Stiles checked in with you today?"

Derek looked up from the report he was working on. "No sir. I thought he was out following up on leads from the Wonderland scene."

"He hasn't called in today and my calls to him have gone directly to voice mail. He hasn't answered my texts either." Sheriff Stilinski said as he kept an unwavering eye on Derek.

"I'll try him." Derek said and got out his cell phone. His call went to voice mail and the dread feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified. He sent a 911 text that he knew Stiles would answer if he could. Minutes ticked by and there was no reply. "Sir, what are you thinking?" Derek asked as he met the Sheriff's intense stare.

"I'm thinking you'd better find my son." Sheriff Stilinski said. Then he turned on his heel and walked away.

Derek saw officer Jordan Parrish and called him over. He asked the young officer if he'd seen Stiles or had any idea where he might be. They talked for a few moments then Derek's phone rang. He was relieved when he saw that it was Stiles number on the display. "Hey, where are you? Your dad is looking for you."

"I've got him." the other guy said in his deep well modulated voice. "You need to come alone, if you want to see him again."

"Where are you?" Derek asked in a low tone.

"At the old Hale homestead. Be here in a half hour." there was a click and he was gone.

Derek looked at the phone with a renewed feeling of horror. The killer had Stiles and he had to go save him. Derek headed out to his Toyota and drove out of town at speeds that far exceeded the posted limit. His thoughts were a jumble and his chest ached. He was terrified that Stiles was already dead and he would arrive to find his body displayed like the others. He pushed that thought out of his mind as he concentrated on driving and trying to come up with a plan to save his partner.

Derek pulled up in front of the ruined hulk that used to be his grandparent's home. It had burned many years ago and been left to the ravages of time and the elements. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he might encounter there. He had to be prepared for whatever the killer had planned. Derek strode up to the front door and pushed it open wide.

Derek stopped just inside the doorway with his gaze trained on Stiles. The younger man was on his knees, ball gag in his mouth and arms cuffed behind his back. A tall man was standing behind him with a syringe against the right side of Stiles neck and a gun pressed against the base of his skull.

When Derek looked up and saw the man's face, he gasped in shock. "No. It can't be. You're dead." He said in a voice that sounded hollow with shock.

"I'm not Dante. You killed him, Derek. I'm his brother, Armand, also known as the March Hare." The tall man said in a deep voice that vibrated against Derek's frayed nerve endings.

"Dante didn't have a brother." Derek said as his mind rejected what the other man told him.

"Dante didn't tell you about me. He did however, tell me all about you."

"Let Stiles go. He doesn't have anything to do with this. Let him go and we can work this out." Derek said as he looked back down at his lover.

"He has everything to do with this. You took someone I loved away from me. Now I'm going to do the same to you." Armand stated as he stared intently into Derek's eyes.

"Take me instead. I'm the one who killed, Dante. I'm the one who should be punished." Derek said as he looked into the face that so closely resembled the man who had betrayed him.

"I thought for a long while about how best to get my revenge for Dante's death. I looked up techniques for skinning a human body, for amputation, and many methods of torture. I came here prepared to implement them, then I saw you with your boy here and I knew he was the way to get to you. Watching him die will haunt you for the rest of your life. You'll see him every time you close your eyes, and have nightmares of this moment from this day forward. You will have many long years to suffer for what you did before you are utterly destroyed and put an end to your miserable existence."

"Why did you kill the Wonderland cosplayers? Why didn't you just come for me?" Derek asked stalling for time.

"I wanted to experiment with the plastination technique and draw you in with the clues from your life with Dante. My plan worked brilliantly and here you are for the end game. Say good bye to Stiles, Derek. It's time for you to watch him die." Armand's intense brown eyes never left Derek's face.

A gun shot made Derek tense and cry out as he expected to see Stiles body crumple before him. Instead Armand fell to the floor behind Stiles with a gunshot wound to his head. Derek looked to the right and saw officer Jordan Parrish standing there with his gun in his hands. Derek rushed forward to Stiles, got the ball gag off him and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Derek's voice was shaky and his face was pale as he looked Stiles over for injuries and took off the cuffs.

"I've got a bump on my head from where he knocked me out, but I'm okay." Stiles said as he rubbed his wrists to get the blood flowing back into them.

Derek and Stiles both turned to officer Parrish and thanked him, then they looked at the fallen man on the floor.

"He told me his name was Armand when I met him about eight months ago. I thought he was my friend." Stiles said softly.

"He had this whole thing planned out. He fooled Jackson too. I brought this all down on us. I'm sorry, Stiles, for all of it. I never knew that Dante had a brother. I had no idea this was coming." Derek said as he stared down at the body on the floor.

"None of this was your fault, Derek. You have to know that. It's time to move forward. There's nothing holding you back now." Stiles said as he stared into the older man's troubled green eyes.

Derek looked down at Armand's body and pictured Dante lying there. Stiles was right. It was time to let the past go and tell Stiles how he felt about him. He slipped his arms around the younger man and pulled him in close. Stiles looked over at officer Parrish surprised that Derek would touch him like this in front of a colleague.

"You're right, Stiles. I'm not going to hold back anymore. I want the whole world to know that I love you, Stiles Stilinski. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Derek declared, then he claimed Stiles lips in a loving soul kiss.

When they finally came up for air, they looked over to see that officer Parrish was smiling at them. "You two have always made a great team. Partners in every sense of the word. I'll take care of the scene here. You two get away while you can. You can make your statements at the station later."

"Thanks, Jordan. We owe you big time." Stiles said as he and Derek walked toward the door.

"Yeah. I'll collect someday. No go on with ya." Jordan said and watched them leave.

"My place." Stiles said as they climbed into Derek's suv.

"Soon we'll find our place." Derek said and looked over to see a thousand watt grin lighting up Stiles face. He reached over and took his lovers hand in his own. He wanted to affirm the new, stronger connection that flowed between them.

 _Home_

Two months had passed since Derek had declared his love to Stiles. In that time, they had purchased a house together and started their new life as a committed couple. The happy pair had been a bit surprised by the amount of support that they received from their fellow officers and Stiles dad after they had revealed their relationship to everyone.

Derek still had nightmares occasionally, but they were fading away each day as he built his new world with Stiles. Derek had traveled to a lot of places during his younger, restless years. He had always been searching for something. He could never really define what that something was until now. Derek had been looking for the one place he truly belonged. Now he had found that place with Stiles. Derek was finally home.


End file.
